Cash register



- Sept. 3, 1929. o. J. SUNDSTRAND CASH REGISTER Filed Oct. 5. 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet J72 2/6 7% for OJSumcZs iz'cmci @m M 17i Sept. 3, 192 9. 0. J. SUNDSTRAND CASH REGISTER Filed Oct. 3, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 422i 1 7 4 ad suf sgz and 7 n m M ill Patented Sept. 3, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OSCAR J. SUNDSTRAND, F ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO SUNDSTRAND CORPORATION, OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

CASH REGISTER.

Application filed October 8, 1921. Serial No. 505,095.

This invention relates to cash registers of the class in which a self-contained addin and listing machine is removably positione upon a casing containing a cash drawer,

means being provided for unlatching the cash drawer through operation of the adding and listing machine.

In prior cash registers of the type abovemcntioned, the drawer has been arranged to be released whenever the main operating handle of the adding machine has been actuated. Since this handle is operated once for each item listed, it will be apparent that when a purchase comprises a plurality of items, the drawer is unlatched as soon as the first item has been listed. "It is desirable, however, that the salesman, cashier or other person operating the cash register shall not have access to the contents of the cash drawer until all the items constituting the purchase have been registered. It is the particular object of this invention to provide means to effect this result. Y

While the invention may be embodied in various forms, it is herein exemplified in connection with a construction wherein the unlatching means cannot be operated by the main handle of the adding machine until after the total key has been depressed preparatory to printing the total amount of the sale.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a cash register embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmental plan view.

Figs. 3 and 4 are detail views of a guide for one of the operating elements.

Fig. 5 is a fragmental elevation, with parts in section.

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is a viewlooking from the righthand side of Fig. 5.

Although it will be understood that the present invention is applicable to adding and listing machines of various kinds, I have selected for illustration 9. machine substantially identical with that disclosed in the Sundstrand Patent No. 1,198,487 dated September 19, 1916. Said machine has a base 40 which is supported upon rubber feet a.

The casing or cabinet which contains the cash drawer may be of any preferred construction. Herein there is shown a casing O, the upper surface of which constitutes a table orplatform D upon which the adding and listlng machine may be set. E is the cash drawer.

The means for latching the drawer E in the closed position may be of any desired character, and hence has not been illustrated 1n detail herein. Reference may be made to applicatlon Serial No. 492,243, filed by me on August 15, 1921, (now Patent No. 1,568,- 300) for a dlsclosure of one form of latch which may be employed. It is suflicient here to state that 1 isa spring-actuated lever which tends to open the drawer, said lever belng normally restrained by means of a latch 6 which is pivoted at 7. The latch 6 1s arranged to .be tilted to free it from engagement with the lever 1 by means of a drawer-unlatching plunger 10 which is vertically reciprocable in a guide 11, the lower end of the plunger being arranged to engage one arm of the latch. The guide 11 is secured to the casing G and is adapted to proect upwardly through. an opening 40 in the base of the adding and listing machine. Alined with the plunger 10 is a plunger 12 which is 'reciprocable within the guide 11 above the plunger 10. The plunger 12 has a head or flange 13 at its upper end adapted for engagement by a suitable part 15 of the mechanism of the'adding and listing machine. The plunger 12 is normally held elevated by a coiled expansive spring 16 interposed between the head 13 and the upper end of the guide 11. The normal position of the plunger 12 is determined by contact of a projection 17 (Fig. 7 on the lower portion of the plunger 12 with the upper end wall of a slot 18 in the guide 11. As shown in Fig. 5 there is sufficient space between the adjacent ends of the plungers 10 and 12 so that the plunger 12 can be fully depressed by the adding machine mechanism without causing movement of the plunger 10 unless an element be interposed between the adjacent ends of said plungers to transmit movement from the plunger 12 to the plunger 10. There is herein shown an element arranged to be thus interposed between the plungers by means of the total key 177 of the adding and listing machine. The stem of said key is vertically reciprocable and its lower end is arranged to engage and depress a plunger 19 (Fig. 7) which is bell crank lever 24 is connected to one end of a rod 26-which is slidably and pivotally supported in sockets or lugs 28 attached to the table D. The rear portion of the rod 26 is bent to provide an arm or crank 29, the rear end 30 of which constitutes an element adapted to be inserted into the space between the adjacent ends of the plungers 10 and 12. The rear endof the crank 29 extends into the slot 18, the walls of which slot serve as a guidefor the portion 30. The rear portion of the crank 29 is further guided by a bracket 31 on the table D. A coiled expansive spring 32 normally holds the member 30 elevated. Normally the member 30 is in the position shown in Fig. 1. 7

It will be seen that the recording or listing mechanism includes a reciprocatory part 15 having a stroke too short to afiect the drawer-unlatching member 10, and that the element 30 is arranged to be interposed between the parts 15 and 10 to transmlt motion from the former to the latter.

. 30 in the space between the In operation, the operator registers each item of the sale by usin the keys and the main handle 27 of the ad ing machine in the usual manner. In the registering of each item, the operation of the handle causes the plunger 12 to be depressed by the member 15, but the movement of the plunger 12 is not transmitted to the plunger 10, since the element 30 is in the position shown in Fig. 1, and consequently the cash drawer remains latched. When all of the items have been registered, the operator depresses the total key'177, thereb causing the rod 26 to be shifted longitu inally to place the portion plungers 10 and 12, and while the total key 1s down, the operator pulls the handle 27, thus causing the total of the items constituting the sale to be recorded. In the operation of printing the total, the plunger 12 is depressed carrying with it the element 30 and the plunger 10, whereby the latch 6' is tilted sufiiciently to release the lever 1 and thus cause the cash drawer to be unlatched. As soon as the total key returns to normal position, the spring 23 causes the rod 26 to move longitudinally in the direction to withdraw the element 30 from between the plungers 10 and 12. The crank form of the rod 26 and its flexibility allow for the necessary vertical movement of the element 30.

it will be evident that the cash drawer cannot be unlatched until all the items makin up the sale have been recorded.

The guide 11 and the bracket 21 serve to locate the adding and listing machine upon the casing in' operative relation to the plungers 12 and 19. I

It will be apparent that the adding and listing machine may be lifted off the casing and taken to any place-where it may be desired to make computations, prepare statements of account, etc.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination of a cash drawer, a latch for the drawer, a plunger for operating the latch, a second plunger, an adding and listing machine having a main crank and a member movable in the operation of said crank to move the second plunger, and a part arranged to be interposed between the plungers to transmit movement of the sec- 0nd plunger 'to the first plunger, said machine having a total key arranged to control the position of said part.

2. The combination of a casing, a cash drawer in the casing, means for latching the drawer in closed position, an addin and listing machine mounted upon the casing, a single handle for actuating the machine to add and list items andprint totals, and means invariably actuated in the operation .of the handle for operating said latching means, said machine having a total key arranged to control said operating means.

1 3. A till accessory for recording machines, comprising a case separate from and independent of a recording machine removably placed thereon and. supported thereby, a

drawer-latching mechanism in said case, and means arranged for operation by a total key of a recording machine resting on said case to render the recording machine efiective to operate said mechanism.

4. A till accessory for recording machines having operating handles, comprising a case separate and detached from a recording machine removably placed thereon and supported thereby, a drawer in said case latching means for the drawer, means on the case arranged for operation by a final recording key of a recording machine that is placed on sa1d case, and means on the case arranged for operation by the handle of a recording machine resting on said case, both of said means cooperating with the latching means to release the drawer when the former means is held depressed by said key and the latter means is depressed by said handle.

5. A till accessory for an adding and listing machine having a total key and an operating handle, comprising a case separate and detached from an adding and listing machine removably placed thereon and support-,

ed thereby, a drawer in said case, latching means in said case for the drawer, a device carried by the case in position to be depressed b the total key of an adding and listing macliine placed on said case, a device carried by the case in position to be depressed by the adding and listing machine when the latter is actuated by said handle, and means actuated by the first device to render the second device effective to operate the latching means.

6. The combination of a case, a cash drawer in the case, drawer-latching means in the case, a plunger projecting upwardly from the rear portion of the case, a plunger supported upon the forward portion of the case, means operated by the second plunger to render the first plunger effective to unlatch the drawer, an adding and listing machine structurally independent of said case and adapted to be removably positioned thereon, said machine having a base provided with two openings through which said plungers project, said adding and listing machine comprising a main operating handle, means actuated by said handle for depressing the first plunger, and a total key arranged in position to depress the second plunger.

7. The combination of a case, a cash drawer in the case, drawer latching means in the case, a plunger projecting upwardly from the case, a second plunger supported upon the case, means operated by the second plunger to render the first plunger effective to unlatch the drawer, an adding and listing mechanism having a base provided with two openings through which said plungers project, said adding and listing mechanism comprising a main operating handle, means actuated by said handle for depressing the first plunger, and a total key arranged in position to depress the second plunger.

8. The combination of a single cash drawer, a single latch therefor, adding and listing mechanism including a total key and a main operating handle, item and total printing means actuated by the handle and inefiective when printing an item to operate the latch, and means actuated by the total key for rendering the first mentioned means effective to operate the latch.

9. A cash register comprising, in combination, a case having a drawer therein, a spring tending to project the drawer, latching means in said case for said drawer, an adding and listing machine separate and distinct from said case and removably supported thereon, said machine having a total key, an operating handle and apart movable to and fro during the operation of the machine by said handle, means mounted on said case adjacent to said machine adapted to be actuated by the movement of'said part during the operation of said machine by said handle and to operate said latching means when so actuated, and control means for said latch-operating means operatively associated with said total key to control the actuation of said latch-operating means according to the setting of said total key.

10. A cash register comprising, in combination, a case, a drawer in said case, spring means tending to project said drawer, latching means in said case for said drawer, an adding and listing machine separate and detached from the case and removably supported thereon, said machine having an operating handle, a manipulative device and a part movable to and fro during the operation of said machine by said handle, a plunger projecting from the top of said case and arranged for operation by the movement of said part to release said latch, and means for controlling the releasing of said latch comprising a member arranged for association with said plunger to transmit the movement of said part to said latch to release the same, and means operable by said device to cause association of said member and said plunger.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

OSCAR J. SUNDSTRAND. 

